This invention pertains to snow tools and, more particularly, to roof rakes for removing snow from roofs.
In Buffalo, Syracuse, Rochester, Minneapolis, St. Paul, and elsewhere, heavy accumulation of snow can damage the roof and other parts of homes and other buildings. As snow accumulates on the roof, the weight of the snow can crack or rupture sections of the roof. As the snow melts from the heat of the building or from the sun, the melted snow will leak through the cracks and openings in the shingles and roof, staining the ceiling, wallpapers, walls and carpeting in the home. This becomes aggravated when the snow or ice blocks the gutters and the snow backs up through the bottom and cracks in the shingles. This situation also becomes aggravated when snow is very heavy, wet and slushy.
In an effort to alleviate this problem, roof rakes were developed. Roof rakes can be used to pull and remove snow from the roof. Roof rakes have long handle sections that allow the user to reach and rake the roof from the ground or a ladder or from some other remote location. Conventional roof rakes have aluminum or steel blades and wooden or aluminum handle sections. The handle sections are typically bolted together and are difficult and cumbersome to assemble in cold and wet weather. The metal blades of conventional roof rakes can tear or otherwise damage the shingles of the roof.
Small amounts of snow can be readily removed from sidewalks, stairs, roofs, and driveways with a snow shovel. Snow shovels are good all around snow tools. Typically, snow shovels have a generally flat blade with a very slight curvature. Snow shovels are useful to shovel, lift, raise and throw light snow away from the sidewalk, stairs, roofs, or driveway. If the snow is deep, heavy, or slushy, other types of snow tools are better, safer and more productive than standard snow shovels. Moreover, lifting heavy snow with a standard snow shovel may cause back injuries and sometimes heart problems for some people.
Snow pushers have a rounded or curved blade which are useful to push heavy or deep snow and slush away from sidewalks and driveways. Snow pushers can be very heavy. Snow pushers are not generally useful to remove snow from roofs. Persons using snow pushers and snow shovels have to be careful not to fall off the edge of the roof. Furthermore, the deep curvature of pusher blades, however, are not generally useful to lift (raise) and throw snow and slush, which remain after the bulk of the snow and slush has been pushed away. Furthermore, many snowfalls, such as 21/2 inches to 5 inches of snow, are too deep to comfortably use only a snow shovel, but too shallow (not deep enough) to use only a snow pusher. Combination snow shovels and snow pushers can be useful on sidewalks and driveways for such purposes.
Scrapers are useful to scrape, cut and chop ice from sidewalks and driveways. Smaller scrapers are useful to scrape ice from vehicle windows and windshields. Ice can accumulate on sidewalks and driveways from ice storms or from snow which has melted during the day and freezes at night when the temperature drops. Icy sidewalks and driveways can be very dangerous and slippery. It is often difficult to walk and safely drive with full control on icy pavements. If snow falls and accumulates on the ice, the underlying layer of ice can be treacherous. Once the ice is chopped or scraped, it can be scooped, shoved and removed with a snow scoop. It is best to avoid using ice scrapers on roofs, because they may puncture, tear and otherwise damage the shingles.
The snow shovel and scoop are well known hand tools used primarily for shoveling, scooping and removing snow. An important consideration and concern with snow shovels and scoops are the strength to weight ratio. In the past, the stronger a snow shovel and scoop, the heavier it was, due to the amount of material mass required for rigidity. The weight of conventional iron and steel snow shovel blades and scoop blades are burdensome, awkward and inconvenient, especially if the person lifting the blade is young, elderly or not trained in proper lifting techniques. If the snow shovel blade and scoop blade is made too thin, it will bend under load. Therefore, conventional prior snow shovels and scoops have been constructed of thick iron or steel which provides a heavy awkward hand tool that is hefty and burdensome to operate.
A snow shovel blade, scoop blade, roof rake blade, and ice scraper blade, are usually subjected to impact forces and abrasion during use from impacted snow, ice, the underlying pavement, shingles, etc., which can pit, corrode, or otherwise damage the snow shovel blade, scoop blade and ice scraper blade. Furthermore, salt used to melt ice and water from slush and melting snow can accelerate rust and degradation of conventional iron snow shovels, scoops, and ice scrappers. These factors can cause premature failure of the snow shovel, snow scoop, ice scrapper, and roof rakes.
A roof rake used primarily for removal of snow from roofs is unique in that the consumer seeks a large, but lightweight blade. For these reasons, in place of an iron or steel blade, some roof rakes are manufactured with aluminum blades. While aluminum blades do not rust, the are much weaker and flimsier than iron and steel and often requires greater thickness or reinforcement in order to withstand the loads, forces, stress and strain of pulling and removing snow. Without reinforcement of an aluminum blade to prevent counter-flexing, such as stepping on the back of the blade, the aluminum blade can bend in half thereby ruining the roof rake.
Another problem with prior roof rakes is that the convention long heavy shafts comprising the handle adds enormous weight and bulkiness to the roof rake. Metal handles comprising metal shafts made of iron and steel have been used. While iron shafts are strong, they can readily corrode due to moisture, snow and sleet. Futhermore, iron or steel shafts are very cold due to the inability to compensate for the cold surrounding ambient temperature. In an effort to improve the ease of use and decrease the weight of roof rakes, roof rakes have been made with aluminum handles (shafts). It has also been common practice to make the shafts of the handle from wood. However, a problem with wood is that unless properly treated, water can rot the wood especially where the parts are fastened or coupled together.
Some snow shovels have been molded entirely from plastic, which does not rot, rust, or retain cold as its wood and metal counterparts. However, the problem with plastic is strength. Early snow shovels with plastic blades were somewhat flimsy and did not wear well. A plastic shaft may flex causing the shaft to bend since the shaft becomes a fulcrum point during use. Furthermore, plastic snow shovels with smooth, rounded handles can also be slippery and difficult to hold when wet. A blade made of plastic further presents a number of problems, including control of flexing and wear.
In order to manually removing snow from roofs, different amounts of effort are often required to remove the snow, depending on the depth, temperature, fluffiness, amounts of slush, water, ice and texture of the snow to be removed. Sometimes, young women, men, and elderly people may become overburdened and frustrated by the weight and bulkiness of a conventional roof rake when removing snow. Also, conventional roof rakes can be too heavy, awkward and cumbersome to use for many people.
It is therefore, desirable to develop an improved roof rake which overcomes most, if not all, of the preceding problems.